Youn Yuh-jung’s performance as Sunja in ‘Pachinko’ is “captivating”, says director

nme.com:

Pachinko director Kogonada has opened up about his experience working with Academy Award winner Youn Yuh-jung on the upcoming Apple TV+ series.In a recent interview withThe Korea Herald, Kogonada spoke about his time working with Youn and gushed about her performance as the show’s main character Sunja. “Her face to me was like a map of human history and Korean history, and the notes that she can play on her face are really remarkable to me,” he said.He added that he felt so compelled by Youn’s acting that he was always eager to film the next scene with her while on set. “After every scene, I just wanted one more scene of her in front of our lens because she has that ability to play the most subtle notes.

It’s captivating,” he shared.Elsewhere in the interview, Kogonada also touched on the significance of Pachinko’s representation of Korean history, with a focus on the Japanese colonial rule over the country which ran from 1910 to 1945.“I think this story is specific to Korean history, but it is also deeply universal,” he told the outlet. “Even today, we know that people are being displaced, and families are having to make choices on how to survive.

And this is a common story throughout history.” The forthcoming series is an adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s bestselling novel of the same name.

The show is set to arrive on Apple TV+ on March 25 with its first three episodes, followed by weekly instalments every Friday thereafter.Following the trials and tribulations of Korean immigrants in turn-of-the-century Japan unfolding over four generations, it will star Lee Min-ho, Jin Ha, Kim Min-ha and more.